scholarly journals Getting Our Heads Above Water: Integrating Bird Conservation in Planning, Science, and Restoration for a More Resilient Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Dybala ◽  
Tom Gardali ◽  
Ron Melcer
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Important Region ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Flyway ◽  
Diverse Community

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is an important region for bird conservation in California, particularly as part of a large, productive estuary on the Pacific Flyway. The Delta currently provides habitat to an abundant, diverse community of birds, but it is likely only a small fraction of what the Delta’s bird community once was. Meeting the goal of restoring a healthy Delta ecosystem is legislatively required to include providing habitat for birds among the conservation goals and strategies in the Delta Plan, yet birds and their habitat needs are often not addressed in science syntheses, conservation planning, and large-scale restoration initiatives in the Delta. In this essay, the authors provide an avian perspective on the Delta, synthesizing recent scientific work to describe factors that contribute to the Delta’s current importance for birds, and the conservation needs of the diverse array of bird species that call the Delta home.

scholarly journals Avifaunal characterization of Corral de Piedra Palustrine Wetland, Nicoya, Costa Rica

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Vargas-Masis ◽  
Lilliana Piedra-Castro ◽  
Juan Bravo-Chacón
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Resident Species ◽  
Bird Richness

Wetlands maintain high biodiversity and provide important habitat for many bird species, but now have strong pressure from anthropogenic activities. Birds in wetlands are important indicators of environmental changes and our goal was to characterize the bird community in the wetlands Palustrine Corral de Piedra as a mechanism for conservation of tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. We used point counts to describe bird richness and abundance in open (lakes and flooded grasslands) and wooded areas. We described habitat use and microhabitats, trophic guilds, biogeographic distribution and status in Costa Rica. We recorded 83 species of resident birds belonging to 36 families, of which 65 are resident species and 18 have some migratory status in Costa Rica. Secondary consumer species of small vertebrates corresponded to 45,8% and primary consumers were 25,3%. The birds mainly used trees for perching but use emergent shrubs, floating vegetation and water. We found a large number of Egrets, Flycatchers and Hawks playing important roles as pollinators, seed dispersers and predator is adding significant value to the ecological dynamics of forests and lakes in the area. Corral de Piedra has special importance as a site for the establishment of migratory birds and large number of resident species of conservation concern. We consider that joint efforts between residents and researchers are an important tool for bird conservation in the region.

scholarly journals Conserving native trees increases native bird diversity and community composition on commercial office developments

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Dyson
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Tree Protection ◽  
Matrix Habitat ◽  
Site Use

Abstract In cities, woody vegetation provides critical shelter, nesting and foraging habitat for bird species of interest. Human actions—including development and landscaping choices—determine vegetation community composition and structure, making these choices critically important to urban bird conservation. A better understanding of how bird communities are impacted by parcel-scale actions can help guide policy and management best practices to improve matrix habitat quality and quantity. Here, I examined how bird habitat use varies along a vegetation gradient created by different development and landscaping choices. I surveyed 20 commercial office developments near Seattle in the Puget Trough region of Washington, USA selected using stratified random sampling, where I quantified bird communities and observed feeding behavior. I used GLMM and PERMANOVA models with data likelihood metrics to identify the best supported variables for bird site use, along with TITAN models to identify changes in community composition along environmental gradients. I found that measures of bird effective species richness and bird community are positively influenced by the presence of more native conifers, including the presence of a stand predating development and the height and density of native conifers. Measures of the native bird community are negatively influenced by higher non-native tree density. In contrast to prior research, top-down landscape-scale variables did not explain variation in measures of the bird community on office developments. Importantly, I found that birds are associated with the same habitat on office developments as observed elsewhere. Together, my findings suggest an important role for developers, land owners, landscape architects, and tree protection policy in bird conservation.

scholarly journals Die Entwicklung der Brutvögel in der Waldbrandfläche bei Leuk

2018 ◽  
Vol 169 (5) ◽  
pp. 299-307
Author(s):  
Livio Rey ◽  
Alain Jacot
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Priority Species ◽  
Species Specific

Temporal changes of the breeding bird community in the burnt forest of Leuk Wildfires and windstorms are dynamic processes that can heavily impact habitats and alter their species compositions. Especially species of open and semi-open habitats can benefit from such disturbances, among them several bird species. In this study, we investigated the species-specific changes of the breeding bird community in the burnt forest of Leuk between 2006 and 2016, starting three years after the wildfire of 2003. Several species increased or decreased significantly in abundance after the fire event. A few species showed a complex reaction, where territory numbers increased after the fire, reaching a maximum after a few years and subsequently decreased. Interestingly, many of these bird species (e.g., Eurasian Wryneck, Common Redstart) are threatened and are priority species for conservation action. They may have benefitted from the first, open successional stages with a high proportion of bare ground, but are expected to decrease in abundance with the ongoing densification of the vegetation layers. Our study demonstrates that a large-scale forest fire can promote threatened bird species of open and semi-open habitats also in temperate regions. To what extent forestry measures, grazing or controlled fires can imitate the positive effects of wildfires is an open question and should be part of future research in the combined fields of forestry and conservation biology.

Bird community monitoring at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Missouri: Status report 2008–2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Peitz ◽  
Naomi Reibold
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Status Report ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Central Hardwoods ◽  
Community Monitoring

Breeding bird surveys were initiated on Wilson’s Creek National Monument, Missouri, in 2008 to assess temporal changes in the species composition and abundance of birds on the park and to improve our understanding of relationships between breeding birds and their habitat and the effects of management actions, such as invasive plant species control and tree thinning, on bird populations. Birds were sampled using point counts with 38 variable circular plots located on a systematic grid of 400 x 400-m cells (originating from a random start point). All birds seen or heard on a plot during a 5-min sampling period were recorded. In the 13 years since initiating our breeding bird survey, birds were surveyed on as many of the 38 variable circular plots as possible each year, resulting in 444 cumulative plot visits. Surveys have yielded records for 119 different species of birds. Ninety-eight of the species recorded are classified as permanent or summer residents to the area, 18 are classified as transients in the area, and 3 as winter residents to the area. Eight breeding species recorded are considered species of conservation concern for the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region, the bird conservation region in which Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is located. Of the 98 breeding species recorded, 12 species in grassland habitat and 15 in woodland habitat occurred in numbers large enough to calculate annual abundances with some degree of confidence. Trends in abundance were classified as uncertain for most species, which means that no significant increases or decreases occurred but it is not certain that trends were <5% per year. The Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) population in grassland habitat was stable. The Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) and Eastern Wood-pewee (Contopus virens) populations in woodland habitat were in moderate decline. Comparing population trends on the park with regional trends for the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region suggests that the bird community at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is faring similarly to that of the region as a whole. Stable diversity, richness, and evenness values suggest that the park’s habitat has remained consistent in its ability to meet the requirements of many of the park’s breeding bird species. Any decline in species richness could reflect habitat management practices, but it could also reflect the influences of larger-scale factors such as weather or climatic conditions on vegetation. Therefore, continued monitoring of birds and their habitats on Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield as management and weather and climatic conditions change is essential for park management.

scholarly journals Disentangling the Roles of Topography, Patch, and Land Use on Conservation Trait Status of Specialist Birds in Marginal Forest Land Use Types

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Petr Zasadil ◽  
Dušan Romportl ◽  
Jakub Horák
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Patch Configuration ◽  
Marginal Forest ◽  
Fruit Orchards

One of the main questions in ecology and conservation is how organisms are governed and affected by their traits within the context of abiotic gradients. The main question of our study addresses how patch, topography, and land use influence conservation trait status (rarity and red-list index) of birds generally, and of farmland and woodland specialists specifically, in marginal forest landscape types. We sampled birds from 68 traditional fruit orchards existing as remnants of agroforestry within the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic during two consecutive years. We recorded 57 bird species, of which 31 species were forest dwellers and 16 farmland dwellers. Topographical predictors played the most significant role in influencing traits of the bird community as a whole. Farmland bird traits indicated the most balanced values, as they were significantly influenced by all studied predictor sets. Their responses nevertheless differed among the studied traits and also showed a more complex pattern because the values of interaction between some predictor categories were relatively high. Traits of woodland birds were most influenced by the patch configuration. We found that a structurally diversified marginal habitat type of traditional fruit orchards is able to promote a number of specialist species and also reveals important relationships between bird conservation traits and different predictor sets. Researchers should pay more attention to the conservation traits of birds and their interactions with environmental predictors. Furthermore, conservationists should be more attentive to the biodiversity value and sustainable management of traditional fruit orchards.

scholarly journals The science of bird conservation

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S2-S12 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Brooks ◽  
N. J. Collar ◽  
R. E. Green ◽  
S. J. Marsden ◽  
D. J. Pain
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Conservation Organizations

Colin Bibby (1948–2004) was the quintessential bird conservation biologist. Over his career, he served as lead scientist at two of the world's largest bird conservation organizations, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and BirdLife International. His contributions encompassed detailed autecological studies of rare bird species such as the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata (e.g. Bibby 1978) and Fuerteventura Stonechat Saxicola dacotiae (e.g. Bibby and Hill 1987), a sweeping synthesis of the techniques of bird conservation science (Bibby et al. 1992, 2000), and pioneering contributions in conservation planning such as the Endemic Bird Areas concept (ICBP 1992).

scholarly journals Recovery of bird communities following the construction of a large-scale hydroelectric dam

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Affan Nasruddin-Roshidi ◽  
Mohammad Saiful Mansor ◽  
Nor Adibah Ismail ◽  
Ehwan Ngadi ◽  
Mohd Izzat-Husna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Incremental Change ◽  
Hydroelectric Dam ◽  
Operation Phase

Abstract Background Habitat degradation is known to have a major impact on the composition of bird communities, yet how these communities recover following such disturbance is less understood. This study examined bird community changes from pre-logging to recovery over the course of habitat disturbance caused by the development of the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Dam Project in Peninsular Malaysia, between 2007 and 2018. Bird surveys were conducted using point count observations and mist netting in the dam area from the pre-logging phase until the operation phase. Results It was observed that while bird species significantly declined after large-scale habitat clearance between the pre-logging and construction phases, they showed positive signs of recovery from the inundation to operation phases. These findings indicate that the bird community is still recovering, and the permanent loss of habitat required by most of the original species has not occurred, as evidenced by recolonisation. Bird species composition differed across phases due to varying habitat conditions. The turnover rate and immigration rate (recolonisation and newly recorded species) were higher between the construction and operation phases. It was also observed that insectivorous birds were more heavily affected than others by changes to the landscape, which highlights the versatility, survivability and tolerance of certain species to extreme disturbance and habitat modification. Conclusion Although the operation phase showed an incremental change in bird species richness due to recolonisation and newly recorded species, this value remains far from that of the pre-logging phase. We predict that bird species recovery will continue to increase for some time before reaching a plateau among the newly created islands, reservoir and catchment area of the dam.

scholarly journals Composition and structure of bird communities in vegetational gradients of Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAURICIO N. GODOI ◽  
FRANCO L. SOUZA ◽  
RUDI R. LAPS ◽  
DANILO B. RIBEIRO
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Composition And Structure

ABSTRACT The informations of bird species distribution in different habitats and the structure of their communities are crucial for bird conservation. We tested the differences in composition, richness and abundance of birds in different phytophysiognomies at Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil, and we demonstrated the variations in richness and abundance of birds between different trophic groups. Sampling was conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 in 200 point counts arranged in the study area. A total of 3350 contacts were obtained belonging to 156 bird species. Woodland savannas, seasonal forests and arboreal savannas had higher bird abundance and richness, while riparian forests, clean pastures and dirty pastures had smaller values of these parameters. The bird community was organized according to local vegetational gradient, with communities of forests, open areas and savannas, although many species occurred in more than one vegetation type. The insectivorous, omnivorous, frugivorous and gramnivorous birds composed most of the community. These data showed how important environmental heterogeneity is to bird communities. Furthermore, the presence of extensive patches of natural habitats, the small distance between these patches and the permeability of pastures, with high arboreal and shrubby cover, are indicated as important factors to maintain the bird diversity.

Monitoring Hydroperiod and Hydropatterns of coastal wetland systems in Mexico using Landsat time series

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart (A.J.) Wickel ◽  
Rene Colditz ◽  
Rainer Ressl ◽  
John Kucharski ◽  
Sergio Salinas-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Coastal Wetland ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The Pacific

&lt;p&gt;The main objective of this study was the evaluation of remote sensing methods that allow for extraction of metrics that link riparian flow regimes to hydro-periods (duration) and -patterns (extent) of wetland systems known to be of critical importance to migratory water fowl and shorebirds along the Pacific Flyway in Mexico. In this study we emphasized the use of freely available and easily accessible optical remote-sensing data and their processing using free and open-source tools.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Through application of a set of common and well documented water and vegetation indices on the full Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 record spanning two decades, we created a data set that captures episodic, intra-annual and inter-annual variability in inundation for two contrasting wetland systems. For this study we focussed on the Marismas Nacionales wetland system along the Pacific coast and the Alvarado Lagoon system on the Gulf coast. A comparison of indices designed to extract vegetation and water characteristics from Landsat data (NDVI, EVI, NDWI, Tasseled Cap and MNDWI) led us to conclude that the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) was most effective for identifying inundated areas while the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) worked best for identifying differences in vegetated areas. Our study also established that the high sensitivity to thresholds requires site specific optimization.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the study we developed metrics to represent the hydro-pattern and hydro-periodicity of waterbodies in the study areas. The first method provides a metric for the intra-annual and inter-annual &lt;em&gt;permanence&lt;/em&gt; of water bodies, while the second method quantifies &lt;em&gt;recurrence&lt;/em&gt; of seasonal inundation. The Marismas Nacionales revealed a surprisingly strong and direct relationship between inundated area and gauge meassured discharge of the Rio San Pedro Mezquital. Annual and multi annual hydropatterns in this system are very strong and predictable, and primarily driven by large scale inundation of the delta of this river as it enters Marismas Nacionales. The relationship between discharge and inundated area was so string that the inundated area (up to several hundreds of sqare kilometers during peaks) remained correlated throught the full range of the hydrograph. For this system recurrent inundation patterns and their timing metrics were linked to specific ecosystem types and used to inform a bird conservation planning effort.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the Laguna de Alvarado a very different dynamic was observed, where large scale inundation was less frequent, permanent water bodies were much more persistent in space, and the correlation between inundated area and discharge was much weaker. In this region persistent cloud cover was an issue and SAR based approached may be the only way to monitor inundation dynamics more consistently. Earlier studies by WIckel et al for other systems using PALSAR data for wetland systems in Colombia revealed other technical shortcomings of these kinds of data. A study by Colditz et al for wetland systems in Mexico revealed a strong potential of MODIS derived MNDWI data as well. We propose that future efforts explore the possibilties of aplications of combined (optical and SAR) products.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in wild bird species of the order Columbiformes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne R. Schumm ◽  
Dimitris Bakaloudis ◽  
Christos Barboutis ◽  
Jacopo G. Cecere ◽  
Cyril Eraud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Avian Species ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Migration Strategy ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasites ◽  
Multiplex Pcr Assay ◽  
And Migration

AbstractDiseases can play a role in species decline. Among them, haemosporidian parasites, vector-transmitted protozoan parasites, are known to constitute a risk for different avian species. However, the magnitude of haemosporidian infection in wild columbiform birds, including strongly decreasing European turtle doves, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus in six species of the order Columbiformes during breeding season and migration by applying nested PCR, one-step multiplex PCR assay and microscopy. We detected infections in 109 of the 259 screened individuals (42%), including 15 distinct haemosporidian mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, representing five H. (Haemoproteus), two H. (Parahaemoproteus), five Leucocytozoon and three Plasmodium lineages. Five of these lineages have never been described before. We discriminated between single and mixed infections and determined host species-specific prevalence for each parasite genus. Observed differences among sampled host species are discussed with reference to behavioural characteristics, including nesting and migration strategy. Our results support previous suggestions that migratory birds have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites than resident or short-distance migratory species. A phylogenetic reconstruction provided evidence for H. (Haemoproteus) as well as H. (Parahaemoproteus) infections in columbiform birds. Based on microscopic examination, we quantified parasitemia, indicating the probability of negative effects on the host. This study provides a large-scale baseline description of haemosporidian infections of wild birds belonging to the order Columbiformes sampled in the northern hemisphere. The results enable the monitoring of future changes in parasite transmission areas, distribution and diversity associated with global change, posing a potential risk for declining avian species as the European turtle dove.

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